Branding may have been a positive force in providing reliable standards and levels of service, but it has done little to encourage innovation in interior design. The brand promise of consistency has often become so rigid that hotel rooms have become indistinguishable from one continent to another.
But times are changing and customer demand is evolving. While the brand promise of standardisedquality and service retains its appeal, evidence suggests that customers are tiring of the "cookie cutter" hotel room that so often accompanies it.
Research conducted by the Summit Hotels consortium and Ouffendell West show that the traveller, particularly the business traveller, is looking for experiences, not similarity.
The result is that even the corporate market is beginning to fall in line behind the more obviously design-led independent and boutique hotels to see if they can broaden the appeal of their brands. This might not herald the end of swirly carpets, but it does show that a distinct style-consciousness is beginning to permeate the corporate world. Look out for an Eames chair in a hotel near you.
Radisson SAS Glasgow
Radisson is no stranger to the concept of the design-led hotel. Its Royal Hotel in Copenhagen was entirely designed by famous Danish architect Arne Jacobsen and is today considered a classic example of modernist design. Jacobsen designed not only the building, its interior and its furniture, but everything from light fixtures to cutlery to door handles.
Now, 40 years since the Royal opened, Radisson has again broken the corporate mould and opened a 250-bedroom hotel in Glasgow, one which moves strongly against the grain of what is expected from a corporate-managed hotel. Instead of bringing in its usual interior designers, Radisson was persuaded by owner Marylebone Warwick Balfour (MWB), which also owns the style-conscious Malmaison brand and Liberty, to allow the architects who designed the controversial hotel exterior to create an interior that is equally as arresting.
Undoubtedly, the most striking feature of the hotel is its exterior - a vast, curved copper wall set in slate and mahogany. The curvature of the wall provides not only a dramatic break in the cityscape's straight lines, but gives a maximum of space and height to the interior.
The strength of the bid by architects Gordon Murray and Alan Dunlop to design the hotel was enhanced not only by the drama of the exterior, but by their loyalty to natural products. Copper, slate and mahogany dominate the exterior; inside, natural colours promote a serene atmosphere. Floors are wooden, walls are sandstone and furniture is dressed in slate-grey with splashes of red.
The interior pays evident homage to Jacobsen, emphasising simplicity, pared lines and sculptural forms. A staircase projects into space from a glass wall, while internal glass lifts provide movement and views of both the inside of the hotel and its surroundings. A long, wooden bar provides an almost sculptural element to the space.
Rooms are standardised but variety has been added by introducing two very different looks - one influenced by the 1970s, with a bold colour palette of burnt orange and animal prints, while the other keeps to the simple, clean lines and calm colours set by Jacobsen.
In short, it's not what you might expect from a corporate hotel. "We have an interesting competitive set," admits general manager Philip Mahoney. "While our true competitors are the Hilton, Marriott and Thistle, we also aim to compete with the Art House, Malmaison and Langs. We're trying to bring in both angles."
At £45m, the hotel wasn't cheap to build, but Mahoney insists that Radisson and MWB wanted an asset that combined style and accessibility, in order to appeal to the widest market possible. "Radisson has standards and parameters that are important to the brand," he says, "but the product has to be something to be proud of and that can command the right rate. The marketplace demands it."
Radisson SAS Glasgow
301 Argyle Street, Glasgow G2 8DL Tel: 0141-204 3333
Number of rooms: 250
Rack rate: £135
Designer: Gordon Murray and Alan Dunlop Architects
Tel: 0141-331 2926
The Meridien grosvenor house
If Park Lane was once known for its slightly faded glamour, it is fast becoming identified with more contemporary designs. Le Méridien, which first introduced the bold and uncluttered concept of Art+Tech rooms, are following it up at Grosvenor House with a new concept inspired by the Biedermeier philosophy of 1815-48.
The Biedermeier movement, often referred to as the "era of the chair", was an important period for the development of interior design as we know it today, and was chosen by designers to reinforce the focus on cutting-edge innovation and design.
Research carried out by Le Méridien suggests that, while the 40-something guest is looking for comfort in a hotel room, it should not be at the expense of fashion and style. "We took our inspiration from Biedermeier because it epitomised the marriage of function and style in an era which can be compared to our own, in terms of social and scientific enlightenment," says Yvonne Golds of designer Real Studios, who worked on the development of both Art+Tech and the Biedermeier rooms.
However, it is evident from the rich fabrics, replica 19th-century furniture and innovative use of colour, space and detail that design at this level is anything but cheap. Art+Tech rooms are estimated to cost about £45,000 each to create and the Biedermeier rooms are unlikely to be any less expensive. This raises the question of why corporate brands are investing so heavily not only in quality but in originality and innovation.
"We have introduced a third style to our hotels to distinguish ourselves in the eye of the customer," says chief executive Juergen Bartels. "Design today is a marketing move. A beautiful room means people tell their friends about it."
The Grosvenor House will be the first hotel to implement the Biedermeier-inspired rooms but it is planned that they will be introduced elsewhere in the future. Current overall investment in the hotel's refurbishment is planned at £90m.
"Ours is a cyclical business," Bartels says. "Occupancy is low in London at the moment, but it won't be down forever and we want to be ready when business picks up again."
Le Méridien, Grosvenor House
Park Lane, London W1K 7TN
Tel: 020 7499 6363
Number of rooms: 592 (estimated at 874 after redevelopment)
Number of Biedermeier rooms: about 350 - these will be sold in 18-24 months' time after the current redevelopment of the hotel is complete
Estimated rack rate: £250+
Designer: Real Studios (Yvonne Gold)
Tel: 020 7928 2211
The Hilton gatwick
Perhaps the most corporate of the corporates, Hilton is also cautiously introducing a more contemporary edge to some of its hotel rooms. Its first attempt comes in the form of two new mini-suite rooms at the Hilton London Gatwick. While not quite achieving the "home away from home" feeling that they are claimed to offer, the rooms are well thought out and mark a definite progression for the group.
Separated into three zones - bedroom, work and bathroom - the rooms are sleek and modern if not ground-breakingly original. "We are trying to ease the Hilton image away from the purely corporate market," says a spokesperson. "It's designed to keep up with the aspirational demands of our customers. We want to give the modern traveller what he or she wants."
Hilton London Gatwick
South Terminal, Gatwick Airport, Gatwick RH6 0LL Tel: 01293 518080
Number of rooms: 191
Relaxation Rooms: two (first in UK)
Room rate for Relaxation Room: £255 a night plus VAT, inclusive of breakfast
Designer: The Manser Practice Tel: 020 8741 4381